A SPECIAL DELIVERY: T&I head John Mica got a special message yesterday, delivered in person to his chief of staff (and later Mica himself) by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Jim Inhofe: the Senate’s offer to the House on the transportation bill. “Sen. Inhofe and I delivered a proposal to the House that reflects a lot of their conference, and the reception we got was quite positive,” Boxer said, later adding, “We got a very warm reception over there, and we’re very happy.” Adam’s got the rest on Boxer’s update: http://politico.pro/KuD2fU

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The top-secret document hasn’t made the rounds yet — it was being copied last night and staffers should have it this morning, according to an aide. Rep. Nick Rahall hadn’t seen it as of last night, he told MT. And Rep. Bill Shuster said a counter offer should be made in a few days. “These are two critical weeks, so we’ll see what we can do,” Mica said Tuesday evening. And he’s still optimistic about getting things done by June 30 — something that a lot of his fellow GOP conferees have not been lately. “Last week we were concerned it might just get dumped on us, but this way everyone is still working together,” he said. Staffers/sources, you know what to do if you get your hands on the draft — MT can keep a secret.

LOTS OF WORK LEFT: Conferees have barely scratched the surface of the most politically difficult issues, especially the big enchiladas — namely the Keystone XL pipeline and coal ash, which Republicans want included. The offer also doesn’t include the RESTORE Act and language dealing with the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

Different faces? The reality is very few transportation watchers are holding out much real hope of seeing a full conference deal enacted by June 30. The House will be in session another 11 days this month — barely enough time to finish an extension, much less an entire conference deal, particularly if the extension is at all contentious. A lobbyist said that even though Boxer remains upbeat publicly, things are different behind closed doors. “A Senate Finance Committee member I spoke to this morning confirmed that Boxer is actually pretty pessimistic given the House GOP’s decision to dig in their heels,” the lobbyist told Kathryn. Burgess, Adam and ol’ Goode-for-nothing lend a Pro hand: http://politico.pro/MaRBDr

PIPE DREAMS, MONEY WOES: Sen. Orrin Hatch told reporters that financing is still “up in the air” and that he didn’t blame the House GOP for being upset with the process. Sen. John Hoeven added that the way the two chambers have approached pay-fors are very different — which complicates things. “In terms of the House, the big thing is the pay-fors,” Hoeven said. “It’s tough. We paid for it, but we did with some of the cash accounts. They want all revenue.”

Hatch also suggested the way to satisfy everyone would be for President Obama to back off his Keystone veto threat. “If the administration would get off its high horse on the Keystone XL pipeline, that might be the one thing that could bring everybody together. I mean, that's just crazy to not do it,” Hatch said. White House spox Matt Lehrich told MT the GOP needs to “put jobs and safety ahead of partisan politics” on transportation.

THE BLAME GAME: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is trying to hold up the transportation bill in an effort to stifle the economy for political gain — or so says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “You have heard, as I have heard, that there's a battle going on between Cantor and [Speaker John] Boehner as to whether or not there should be a bill. Cantor, of course — I’m told by others that he wants to not do a bill to make the economy worse, because he feels that’s better for them,” Reid said yesterday. “I hope that that's not true.” Mere minutes afterwards, MT caught up with Senate conferee Jay Rockefeller and innocently asked how the conference was going. His reply: “They say they want a bill, that the House wants a bill. Boehner does; I don’t think Cantor does.”

Top House aides disagree — and that’s an understatement. “That’s bullsh**. House Republicans are united in our desire to get a sensible, reform-minded transportation bill done, including job-creating energy initiatives like Keystone,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel told us in an uncensored email. More from Burgess: http://politi.co/Mfl0Zl

Inhofe doesn’t <3 press: Like Boxer, Inhofe isn’t too happy with the press for reporting what House members are saying about the transportation conference. “I don’t want to be discourteous, but the biggest problem we’ve had is the media going back and forth and, you know, trying to start the fights,” he told several reporters yesterday.

ON TODAY’S HOUSE SCHEDULE: Votes on separate motions to instruct conferees on the transportation bill offered by Republican Rep. Jeff Flake and Dem Rep. Lloyd Doggett.

Will Broun deliver? As for Rep. Paul Broun’s stalled motion, an email obtained by MT shows a high-placed House source believes the non-binding move to slash transportation spending to within Highway Trust Fund levels “will NOT be offered.” But a Broun spokeswoman refuted that — and said the Georgian is still on track to drop the MTI tomorrow, likely for a vote on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce is telling House members to oppose the measure and may use votes on a Chamber scorecard. Check out the letter from Bruce Josten: http://bit.ly/NFHRQV

SUPER-TRANSPO TUESDAY RESULTS: It was a big night for T&I members. Over in California, Rep. Jeff Denham will face off against former astronaut Jose Hernandez after they were the top vote-getters for the 10th District. Fellow T&I members Duncan Hunter and Grace Napolitano advanced to the next round in November, and Gary Miller’s 31st District race went into the night (updated results from the Calif. Secretary of State: http://bit.ly/MbVb06). Dem Bob Filner opted to run for San Diego mayor instead of pushing for another House term. And PORTS Caucus co-founder Janice Hahn and T&Ier Laura Richardson will face off in November for the redrawn 44th District.

In New Jersey, T&I’s Frank LoBiondo and Albio Sires cruised to the November election. Those watching more than just transportation saw Rep. Bill Pascrell beat Rep. Steve Rothman in the much-watched Dem-on-Dem primary.

And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will still be the governor after surviving a recall election that gained nationwide attention. POLITICO’s Alexander Burns has more: http://politi.co/M6tjqM

T&I toll: Eight current members won’t be back next year: six Democrats and two Republicans. Three so far have lost in primaries, three are retiring and two are running for another office.

WHAT WE ARE MONITORING TODAY: An MWAA decision is widely expected today on the project labor agreement for Metro’s Silver Line extension to Dulles and beyond. MWAA officials have been tight-lipped about providing any sort of outline of today’s meeting — but the PLA has caused controversy from the U.S. Capitol to Richmond because Virginia is a right-to-work state. The Washington Post has more: http://wapo.st/KaiIR2

WHY DOES THE FARM BILL MATTER TO TRANSPOS? They’re the odd man out in a world of arm-slinging corn lobbyists and sleek sugar consultants. And yet the future of their industry hinges on the same agricultural dollars. Give up? Shippers. The maritime industry makes much of its money off foreign aid shipments, courtesy of USDA and USAID Mariners have watched funding slip in recent years and sit poised to lose more amid Congress’s fist-clench on spending, a conservative backlash on foreign donations and a push for alternative ways to assist developing countries. Pick up today’s POLITICO paper or click through for much more from Jessica: http://politi.co/M6sbDH

NEXTGEN: The FAA has been working for years on upgrading the nation’s air traffic control system, but a key piece of the puzzle remains unresolved: how to get the airline industry on board. Virtually everyone — even the airlines — agrees that it’s time to make the switch from the 1960s-era radar technology currently in use to a new satellite-based air traffic control system, known as NextGen. But it requires buy-in from the commercial airline industry, which remains skittish about how much it will cost to equip their fleets, and the ability of the FAA to deliver on the program. Kathryn has more for Pros: http://politico.pro/NgTqQS

NTSB RELEASES ACCIDENT FINDINGS — Metro: The safety agency released its findings of the 2010 accident where two workers were killed after being struck by a hi-rail vehicle (an automobile equipped to run on both the road and train tracks). NTSB recommended transit agencies and state safety oversight groups audit their track worker protection programs. http://1.usa.gov/Lv5xW1

Bus: A deadly bus crash that spurred renewed attention to bus safety regulations and in part prompted a raft of DOT crackdowns on unsafe bus operators was caused by speeding and driver fatigue, NTSB said. The crash, which killed 15 people on their way to New York after a casino outing last year, was caused by the driver’s “acute sleep loss and cumulative sleep debt” and speeds of up to 78 miles per hour immediately preceding the crash. http://1.usa.gov/MbWdJI

Union response: “This is a long-standing problem in this industry and until the FMSCA, American Bus Association, and Congress wake up and address this issue, we are going to continue to see these grisly scenes of bus accidents on our highways,” ATU head Larry Hanley said. Sen. Frank Lautenberg reinforced Hanley’s point on fatigued drivers being a problem, saying in a statement: “It's clear that more needs to be done to monitor the number of hours per day that drivers can be on the road. If drivers are not fully alert, they should not be behind the wheel.”

CRAVAACK’S CARGO BILL GETS SENATE BACKING: Boxer and Olympia Snowe have introduced a bill to apply FAA’s new pilot fatigue and training rules to cargo pilots. The original rule included a controversial “cargo carve-out,” and House T&I member Chip Cravaack has already filed a similar bill in the House. Cravaack hadn’t been briefed on the Senate bill Tuesday evening but told MT he was thrilled to have the upper chamber in the mix. FAA is currently reviewing the rule after errors were discovered in the cost-benefit analysis. The Independent Pilots Association, which represents over 2,000 UPS cargo pilots, wrote Boxer to thank her for the bill. Read the letter: http://bit.ly/L6WY5f

MEDIA MICA: The T&I chairman is out with a radio/ad campaign in his heated GOP primary with Sandy Adams highlighting his effort to cut Essential Air Service subsidies, how he “fought” TSA and GSA and that he is pushing for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The ad is running in the Orlando area and the campaign wouldn’t disclose the size of the ad buy, though a source said it is “significant.” Yesterday Mica asked MT if we’d seen the ad (of course we had) and gave a quick and unsurprising review: “I like it.” Check it out: http://bit.ly/LlTfkW

BOOK ‘EM: A4A will ask the administration to step up its game in opposing the EU’s emissions trading scheme during a Senate Commerce hearing this afternoon. The airline industry group will ask the administration to initiate a formal complaint before ICAO, the U.N. standard-setting body for aviation, known as an “Article 84.” The administration says it’s open to it in general but has been hesitant to take that step — likely in part because of the perception it might generate that the administration isn’t tough on greenhouse gas emissions.

WITH BAITED BREATH: An aide for Rand Paul — and Paul himself — confirmed they are still working on the “End the TSA” bill Paul suggested several weeks ago atop a fundraising pitch for Citizens for Liberty. The bill should come out this week, Paul’s office said.

Meanwhile: Marsha Blackburn has tallied the “TSA’s 50 Most Dangerous” officers in a report out this week. Among the crimes Blackburn chronicles by TSA officers: Assault, hit-and-run and theft. Blackburn is also the author of the STRIP Act, which tries to dress down TSOs and make them look less officer-ly. Check the report: http://1.usa.gov/M5VkT1

THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ)

- Mitt Romney says he’d be open to helping the auto industry — but only after they came out of bankruptcy. POLITICO: http://politi.co/KuDlXU

BREAKING — The numbers are in: The Honda Fit EV has been certified by the EPA as having the highest combined adjusted mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating, clocking in at 118 MPGe. The car has also been giving a range of 82 miles by EPA, beating out some of its close competitors. More info at HondaInAmerica.com, or you can read the announcement here: http://bit.ly/KDtT3V

MT POLL — Should earmarks come back? MT has heard from everybody about where they stand — except for you, dear reader. So take a minute and let us know whether the earmark ban should be overturned in the 113th. Be heard, MT nation: http://poll.fm/3qkve

MAILBAG — Environmental provisions: 140 groups from the states of the 14 Senate conferees write in opposition to three provisions: Keystone, coal ash and NEPA changes designed to speed the project approval process. Read it: http://bit.ly/M6BbZx

THE COUNTDOWN: Highway and transit policy runs out in 24 days, DOT funding in 116 days and FAA policy in 1,212 days. There are 153 days before the 2012 election. It’s been 29 days since the first transportation conference meeting and 978 days and nine extensions since SAFETEA-LU expired.

CELEB-VOCACY: Anjelah Johnson (aka “Bon Qui Qui”) is in D.C. today filming spots and doing interviews for the “Don’t be an S.O.V.” campaign, which aims to cut single-occupant vehicle numbers. Sponsored by vRide, “S.O.V.” seeks to increase ridesharing by 26 percent. Johnson will meet with the NRDC, APTA and Transportation for America about the effort.

CABOOSE — Hybrid bike: Circa 1918 picture of a woman on a motorized bicycle, taken in D.C. Shorpy: http://bit.ly/KM5NlY

** A message from the U.S. Travel Association: To make America competitive again, we need to be connected, to each other and the world. America has zero airports ranked in the top 25 globally, and that's more than just an embarrassment—it's a missed opportunity. Travel is critical to our country's trade balance, since it accounts for ten percent of all exports, and supports one in nine American jobs. If we're not connected through modern airports, America loses out. Investment in our country's infrastructure is an investment in connectivity, which is vital for our people, our economy, and our place on the global stage. Learn more: http://bit.ly/1QLPK5L **

Authors:

About The Author

John Burgess Everett is a congressional reporter for POLITICO. He previously was a transportation reporter for POLITICO Pro, Web producer, helping run POLITICO’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, and a contributor to the On Media blog.

About The Author

Adam Snider is a transportation reporter for POLITICO Pro and author of Morning Transportation. He has covered transportation since 2007, joining POLITICO in 2011 to launch MT and later found the word “Mica-ism.”

Snider is a fan of all modes of transportation, though nothing beats a good silly walk. In his spare time, he can be found brewing a hoppy beer, rooting for the Nationals, watching a bad 1970s horror movie or exploring the District from his home base in Mount Pleasant.

Adam studied English and communications at Clemson University in South Carolina. His work has been featured by Nieman Journalism Lab and his snark has appeared on MSNBC. He has had several works of fiction published in literary journals and is constantly reminded of his proclamation to a fiction professor many years ago that journalism is for sellouts who abandon their creative dreams.